Undefeated Cameroonian mixed martial arts fighter, Boris Mbarga Atangana, says fans should expect “raw angry striking” and “probably chaos” when he makes his Professional Fighters League (PFL) middleweight debut against veteran American fighter, Jared Gooden, at PFL Brussels on Saturday, May 23, 2026.
Nicknamed “The Modern Gladiator,” Atangana boasts an unbeaten professional record of eight wins. Since joining the PFL in July last year, the Cameroonian has never left a fight to the judges’ scorecards, earning a reputation for explosive finishes and relentless aggression.
Atangana needed just 56 seconds to stop Portuguese fighter Bruno Santos in his PFL debut at the PFL Europe Regular Season in Brussels on July 5, 2025. Two months later, he defeated Brazilian Jhony Gregory in two minutes and 17 seconds during the PFL Europe semifinals in Nantes. He closed out the year with a submission victory over another Brazilian, Guilherme Soares, at PFL Lyon in December, improving his record to 8-0.
The 1.85-meter-tall Cameroonian, who currently weighs 83 kilograms and fights out of Belgium, has taken an unusual path in MMA. A former heavyweight puncher, Atangana competed in the light heavyweight division (205 lbs/-93 kg) during the 2025 PFL Europe season before dropping to middleweight (185 lbs/-84 kg) for his scheduled debut on May 23 — just days after Cameroon celebrates National Unity Day.
Despite facing a far more experienced opponent, Atangana insists he is unfazed by Gooden’s veteran pedigree. The Cameroonian prospect enters the bout with an 8-0 record, while Gooden brings a 23-11 professional mark amassed over 34 fights.
Speaking to RMC Sport Combat, Atangana acknowledged Gooden’s experience but remained confident ahead of the clash.
“Yes, I know my opponent is a veteran from a major organisation. He has a lot of experience and knows how to manage a fight, but I’m the one who will lead the dance,” Atangana said of Gooden, a former UFC fighter who has also competed in Legacy Fighting Alliance and Titan Fighting Championships.
While Gooden is expected to rely on his experience from more than 30 professional bouts, Atangana says experience alone will not stop his rise.
“Experience is not something I worry about,” he said. “Expect an explosive show, raw angry striking and probably chaos.”
The unbeaten fighter added that his objective remains unchanged: another finish.
“The ultimate goal is a 100 percent finish. He [Jared Gooden] is definitely not the one who will stop me. I say this with complete confidence because for me, it is going to be completely brutal,” Atangana said.
Gooden has shown resilience throughout his career, surviving deep into several difficult fights despite suffering 11 defeats. However, Atangana, who has never gone beyond the second round as a professional, believes the American will struggle to withstand his pressure.
“The longer he wants to stay in the cage with me, the more he will get hurt, and I don’t think he will want to be in that much pain,” Atangana told RMC Sport Combat.
